


Brave New World

by Joe_Reaves



Category: Primeval
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Ficlet, M/M, Pre-Slash, S1 Ep06, post-episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-09
Updated: 2010-04-09
Packaged: 2017-10-08 20:06:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/79055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joe_Reaves/pseuds/Joe_Reaves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dealing with the aftermath of S1. AU. Ryan's not dead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brave New World

When I woke up, he was watching me. I couldn't help but smile at that. It seemed fitting; it feels like I've been watching him since we were first assigned to this job.

At the start it was purely professional. My job was to watch him, to keep him from doing stupid things, and to bring him home at the end of the day. Claudia made that very clear. I've followed him into the distant past, into underground rooms with huge monsters lurking in them, into football stadiums full of dodos and golf clubs full of flying killers, and every time I've made sure he's come home again. Although sometimes that's been due as much to luck as to my efforts. I couldn't follow him through the underwater anomaly because I don't dive, but if I could, I'd have gone whether he wanted me to or not.

It soon became more than just a job. I liked him. He was stubborn, single minded, and frustrating as hell, but I didn't mind. In fact when he wasn't directing it at me, his stubbornness was kind of amusing. I liked watching him argue with Lester. He was probably the only person who could actually win an argument with the man.

He's not what you'd call attractive, not at first glance any way. He's scruffy, quite fit for a man his age but not in the same league as me. He's got a bit of flab, but not too much, and his hair practically has a life of its own, although that's mainly because he keeps running his hands through it. He's freckly and has wrinkles starting to appear on his face. But there's just something about him that makes me want to keep watching him. He has what sometimes gets called character. He makes you want too look at him through sheer force of personality.

This time he was watching me though and I tried to remember how I ended up in a hospital bed with Cutter watching over me like my own personal guardian angel. My mind wasn't providing any answers though and maybe that's just as well. I remember going through the anomaly with Cutter, his bitch of an ex-wife, a handful of men, and a box of baby predators, but nothing else. Presumably we ran into something with too many teeth and I'd rather not remember being attacked by it.

"What happened?" My voice was hoarse and dry. I must have been unconscious for a while.

Cutter was there in an instant with a glass of water, helping me sip it. His hand was warm against my back and I savoured the sensation for a moment. "Cutter?"

"We were attacked. A gorgonopsid. One of the things we encountered at the very first anomaly," he clarified in response to what was probably a confused look on my face.

It must have been bad from Cutter's expression. "My men?"

He winced. "Two of them didn't make it. The other three are in here as well. One's in the ITC, the others are just bashed up a bit like you, but they'll recover."

Shit. I'd lost men before but it never got easier. "Who?"

"Richards and Jackson were killed in the first attack. Lyle's organising a trip back to bring them home. Simmons has a head injury. The others are walking wounded." He laid his hand over mine and squeezed. "I'm sorry."

"I should inform their families..."

Cutter shook his head. "Lyle's already taken care of that. You've been unconscious for several hours. You woke up briefly when we first got here, but you've been out of it ever since. I'm going to call Ditzy down here if he's finished arguing with the ARC medics and have him look at you, okay?"

"Hang on, ARC? Where are we?" I'd assumed we were in a local hospital but that didn't sound right.

Cutter looked shifty. "Damn. I promised not to say anything to you until Ditzy said it was okay."

I struggled to sit up. "Say anything about what? Sit down and tell me what's going on."

"This is going to sound crazy. We changed time somehow. I don't work for the university any more. I work full time on the anomaly project and so do you. We're based out of a huge glass and steel monstrosity called the ARC. Lester's still in charge, but Claudia isn't around any more. No one's ever heard of her. Instead there's this oily little fellow called Leek. You won't like him."

Changed time? My head hurt too much to deal with this. "I think I need a clearer head to try and understand that."

Cutter chuckled. "Tell me about it. They all thought I was nuts until your men backed me up. Look, let me get Ditzy and then I can tell you everything I know. Connor's working on the theory. I didn't understand most of it."

I couldn't help reaching out to grab his hand. Changing time is a very scary prospect and not something I can fight. I don't like things that I can't do anything about. It makes me feel helpless.

Cutter smiled and came back, squeezing my hand. "I know. I feel the same, Ryan. But at least we all remember the same things. We can get through this together."

I'm glad I'm not alone in this and from the way Cutter was looking at me I had the sudden interesting thought that maybe while I'd been watching him, he'd been watching me... I smiled up at him again." You're right. None of us are alone and even the people who don't share our memories will help us cope. We're lucky." My smile faltered because Richards and Jackson weren't that lucky.

Cutter nodded. "I'll call Ditzy and then we'll see what happens. You just lie there and rest. You gave us quite a scare."


End file.
